Veronica Watson received
$113,879 to support the work of the Frederick Douglass Institute
Collaborative. The two-year award was
made by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) with
additional support coming from IUP. This
marks the fourth year of continuous funding from PASSHE and the first
two-year commitment of support for the group.

The Frederick Douglass
Institute Collaborative has a presence at each of the 14 universities in the
State System. Guided by the spirit and
legacy of distinguished orator and statesman Frederick Douglass, the
Collaborative seeks to create and nurture academic communities that will
support the growth, development, and success of all students and faculty
members in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Serving 120,000 students in the System, the
FDI Collaborative promotes academic excellence, global and local civic
engagement, and the understanding and appreciation of human diversity.

FDI Collaborative
initiatives include the partnership with Yale University’s Summer Undergraduate
Research Fellowship, the Douglass Global Education Initiative to Ghana and
Cameroon, and the academic journal Making
Connections: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Diversity. The Collaborative is currently seeking to
establish a Douglass Debate Society across PASSHE.